US EditionSouth Africa declares a national disaster over flooding and severe weather
At least 30 deaths and over 1,000 homes damaged in northern provinces, with government coordinating relief amid ongoing flood risks and infrastructure destruction.
- On Sunday, Ellas Sithole, head of the National Disaster Management Centre, declared a national disaster after floods killed at least 30 people and damaged thousands of homes in South Africa.
- Persistent La Niña and a quasi-stationary low-pressure system in early January intensified the Intertropical Convergence Zone, producing multi-day convective storms and heavy rains after late December 2025.
- The South African Weather Service recorded localized rainfall totals approaching 400 mm and issued a Level 10 red alert over Limpopo and Mpumalanga, while Kruger National Park closed visitor gates and about 600 tourists and staff were evacuated to higher ground.
- INGD and the World Food Programme report more than 200 000 people affected, tens of thousands relocated, and about 70 000 ha of cropland destroyed as of January 17, 2026.
- National emergency services warn river levels remain critically high and further rainfall could extend the crisis through February, while hydrological gauges along the Limpopo and Save rivers show persistently high flows.
107 Articles
107 Articles
In South Africa, the national disaster has been declared after cloudfalls and floods in the north of the country.
South Africa declares disaster amid floods
South Africa on Sunday declared a national disaster after widespread flooding that destroyed homes and killed dozens, while thousands sought shelter in neighbouring Mozambique. Heavy rains and storms have battered the two southern African countries for weeks, claiming more than 30 lives in South Africa's northeastern Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. Rivers burst their banks and swallowed entire neighbourhoods in several regions of Mozambique, d…
Daily Journal
South Africa declares national disaster as floods batter region
South Africa on Sunday declared a national disaster after widespread flooding that destroyed homes and killed dozens, while thousands sought shelter in neighbouring Mozambique.
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